The rate of "mishandled" luggage in 2012 was the lowest since the Department of Transportation began keeping these statistics in 1987. That translates to 3.09 reports for every 1,000 passengers. As you can imagine, this rate goes up when airports are flooded with more travelers. The December 2012 rate for mishandled baggage was 4.15 reports for every 1,000 passengers. Out of the 26 million mishandled bags in 2012, nearly 83 percent weren't lost but delayed, nearly 13 percent were damaged and just over 4 percent were totally lost. Among airlines that reported lost, delayed or damaged bags to the DOT in July 2013, Virgin America, Frontier Airlines and JetBlue had the lowest bad-baggage rates.
It's unlikely that the cargo hold opened just enough on your cross-country fight for your suitcase to slip out and land 40,000 feet below in a cow patch. Your bag may not have even made it onto the flight if the routing tag got damaged during the intake process -- it can sit at the airport with no known destination while its owner is already boarding a plane. It's also possible for a baggage attendant to put the wrong airport code on your suitcase, meaning it will take an entirely different trip. Mix-ups can also occur when baggage handlers put luggage on the wrong carts, sending them to another plane at the gate. And sometimes the problem happens at baggage pick-up: an owner may forget to pick up the bag after landing, or someone else picks up your bag by mistake or, unfortunately, on purpose.
Most bags eventually make it to their rightful owners, while the rest become part of a giant rummage sale at the Scottsboro, Alabama, Unclaimed Baggage Center. To make sure you're one of those happy reunions, report your missing bag quickly to get the ball rolling so airline staff can start tracking it down. Check with your airline for proper lost baggage phone contacts or online status-check systems. Make sure the airline has contact information for your current location and confirm that they will get your bag to you when it's found. If your suitcase is determined to be lost, file a claim for damages.
Put proper identification inside and out to make sure that airlines have a mobile number and an email address to contact in case they need to chase down the owner of a lonely bag. Don't pack must-haves such as a passport or medicine in checked bags; the Department of Transportation recommends putting what you'll need for the first 24 hours, such as clean underwear, in a carry-on. If you've packed so much in your suitcase that you need to sit on it to close it, the risk of a bag popping open and losing items goes up. If you can't do a nonstop flight, be aware that the risk of a missing bag goes up each time you have to change planes. Check if the credit card you're using to buy that plane ticket offers insurance for lost luggage.
